by Jeff Alan, Contributing Writer
I remember when the trailer for the 2009 anthology film New York, I Love You released and I saw it for the first time in a movie theater, it thundered on screen with quick cuts of actors we all know and love, and shots of New York City highlights over the Phoenix song “1901.” The mixture of New York City glamour shots, a catchy indie-pop song, and snippets of accomplished actors and actresses talking about love in the city resonated with me, and found me at a time in my life when all I wanted to do was find a passionate love like that. When I finally watched the film, I was in love.
However, I seemed to be the only person in the world who liked this movie, because it was poorly received, and to this day currently sits at 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Coming off of the success and critical praise that its predecessor Paris, je t’aime got, it was surprising that this film didn’t hit the mark the same way. Regardless of its not-so-great rating, I genuinely enjoy this film, and I know it’s not going to hit for everyone, but I think there is enough in it to find something to love.
Let’s start with the cast. This cast is — although all of their parts are short — stacked, to say the least: Bradley Cooper, Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Irrfan Khan, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, Chris Cooper, Robin Wright, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thrilby, Blake Lively, Drea de Matteo, Julie Christie, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf, Eli Wallach, Cloris Leachman, and Justin Bartha are the most notable. That is a huge cast of talented people. And the chemistry that the different cast have with each other is really wonderful at times. The segment with Wallach and Leachman playing an elderly couple walking to Coney Island for their 63rd anniversary is a perfect example of the kind of excellent chemistry this cast has with each other. Not to mention the pair ups of Maggie Q and Ethan Hawke, Orlando Bloom and Christina Ricci, Chris Cooper and Robin Wright, and Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson (coming back together after 2008’s Jumper).
Probably the next biggest aspect of this film that I absolutely adore is its cinematography, and the portrayal of New York City. In most films and shows, New York City is shown beautifully and shiny, and not how New York City really is. In reality, the city is a little dirty, congested, and not pretty — the way this movie shoots New York City embraces its congestion and its less glamorous side. It’s showing the city AS IS, not as what people want it to be. And in a way, I think that’s making New York City itself a character in this film, one that is a constant among all the segments of intermingling characters.
Besides the fact that the cinematography sheds New York in a different light and still makes it look beautiful, the cinematography in all the different sections is outstanding as well. In particular, the segment with Cooper and de Matteo is wonderfully shot for this story of two lovers meeting up for another date after a one-night stand that was full of passionate love and connection, narrated by both as their inner thoughts go over the previous night’s events.
Another segment that has great cinematography is the segment directed by Portman, starring Carlos Acosta and Taylor Geare, in which a Cuban-American father and interpretive dancer takes his daughter around Central Park and they connect over several topics of conversations, before she’s dropped off back to her mom’s care. The camera will cut to atmospheric shots of the park during their conversations that are really stunning, and I just love seeing them. And the camera movements and choices when the actors are on screen are a treat for the eyes as well.
Apart from the cinematography, the music throughout the film is quite good. Both in the score and in soundtrack, its ability to intermingle the characters between stories is fun keep track of, and its ability to incorporate other cultures into its stories is really illuminating as well! Several segments help bring inclusion to backgrounds like Hasidic Judaism, Indian, and Chinese, and it helps you put yourself in the mindset of those different cultures, specifically in the example of the segment starring Portman and Khan, a jeweler and diamond merchant who enter the room for a quick exchange, but leave understanding each other’s cultures and religions even better after their interaction.
Some sections are well-thought-out and speak a lot, but there are some that don’t stick the landing as well for people, and that’s completely acceptable. If you are watching this again after an underwhelming first watch, I don’t think much will change, but give the acting another look, because the dialogue is quite good, especially in the segment with Maggie Q and Hawke. I think if you are in a position where you have never seen it and you have the opportunity to do so, you should give it a chance. There is enough to like about New York, I Love You between acting performances, cinematography, and its inclusion of other cultures, and maybe you, too, will come away from this film with a newfound love of the city of New York, just like I did when I first watched it.
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